Arizona Audiology Program Recognized as National Leader for Education Excellence

Mesa, Arizona. - On Oct. 27, the Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) recognized the Arizona School of Health Sciences' entry-level and advanced (ASHS) Au.D. degree programs at A.T. Still University (ATSU) with an Award for Excellence in Education at the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists Convention in Savannah, Georgia. The award is the highest honor given to an institution by AFA and recognizes the extraordinary efforts made toward fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of the AFA in transforming audiology into a doctoral profession and enhancing professional education.

The ASHS audiology programs feature interactions with top quality faculty, state-of-the art facilities, and accessible web-based delivery of content. The program for established practitioners has already graduated 993 doctors of audiology with almost 600 more currently in the degree program. The entry-level residential degree program will graduate its first class in the summer of 2006.


From left to right: Ted Wendel, Ph.D., Associate Provost for A.T. Still University; Tom Rigo, Ph.D., Audiology Associate Professor; Rebekah Cunningham, Ph.D., Audiology Assistant Professor; Tabitha Parent-Buck, Au.D., Audiology Chair; Henry Trahan, Au.D., Audiology Assistant Professor; Les Schmeltz, Au.D., Audiology Assistant Professor; Elton Bordenave, M.Ed., Audiology Assistant Professor

ASHS Audiology Chair Tabitha Parent-Buck, Au.D., was one of the first of three Au.D. graduates in the country in 1996 and served on the AFA Board of Directors for more than seven years. "At ATSU, audiology has found a wonderful home in a health science education institution," Dr. Parent-Buck says. "Both the transitional and entry-level programs were built from the ground up, using support and expertise from the health professions faculty and administration at ATSU and keeping in mind the full scope of practice of audiology."

ATSU's health professions programs are known nationwide for their innovative instructional techniques, community involvement, and use of technology. There are five degree programs at ASHS: audiology, sports health care, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, and physical therapy. The audiology program has demonstrated its commitment to quality audiology practitioner education since accepting its first class in 2000.

"The national recognition emphasizes all the hard work of the audiology and ATSU faculty and staff," Parent-Buck says. "The award recognizes our commitment to excellent and accessible education. Feedback from alumni is extremely positive, and the alumni are our biggest recruiters, which speaks volumes for the program."